Artificial Plant Assembly

ABSTRACT

An artificial plant assembly is provided that can be broken down into component parts for efficient shipping. The artificial plant assembly includes a planter, an outer pot secured within the planter, an inner pot having an artificial plant supported therein and wherein the inner pot is securable within the outer pot.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) from the following U.S. provisional application: application Ser. No. 61/845,091 filed on Jul. 11, 2013. That application is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to artificial plants and more particularly to an artificial plant assembly that is economical to ship and enables artificial plants to be easily interchanged with other artificial plants forming a part of the artificial plant assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It may come as a surprise to many but artificial plants are in great demand in the United States and throughout the world. It is true that in years past consumers may have been somewhat reluctant to use artificial plants throughout their home. That is not true today. More and more homeowners, hotels and real estate management concerns are using high quality artificial plants to decorate homes, office buildings and other commercial buildings.

The improvements that have taken place in artificial plants and flowers is remarkable. Manufacturers and designers of artificial plants and flowers have invested substantially in improving the look and feel of artificial plants and flowers. Artificial plants and flowers that are marketed today in the United States and throughout the world look like real plants and flowers. Substantial improvements have also been made in how artificial plants feel. For example, some artificial plants today employ rubberized leaves that give them the texture of real plants or flowers.

There are numerous reasons for the popularity of artificial plants and flowers today throughout the world. One reason is that artificial flowers and plants have longevity. They retain their beautiful appearance for years. Also, there is little maintenance and upkeep with artificial plants and flowers, especially compared to live plants and flowers. There are environments throughout the world where it is difficult to grow and maintain live plants. In these geographical areas, artificial plants and flowers are used extensively.

One of the problems facing manufacturers and distributers of artificial plants and flowers is shipping costs. Artificial plants and flowers are shipped all over the world and often the shipping costs associated with some artificial plants are a very substantial part of their total cost. In addition, there are areas and places in homes, hotels, casinos, etc. where artificial plants and flowers are extensively used. Over a period of time, it may be desirable to exchange the existing artificial plants and flowers for ones that will yield a different appearance. This too is expensive and time consuming. Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for an artificial plant assembly that can be shipped economically and which can be easily interchanged with other plants.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention entails an artificial plant assembly that can be broken down into component parts for efficient shipping. Further, the present invention entails an artificial plant assembly that enables a plant component of the assembly to be removed from the assembly and replaced with a different plant component.

In one embodiment, the artificial plant assembly of the present invention includes a planter and a pot receptor or outer pot disposed in the planter. A support is contained within the planter and supports the pot receptor within the planter. The artificial plant assembly further comprises an artificial plant secured in a pot, the plant pot or inner pot. The plant pot is designed to be inserted and held within the pot receptor. In one embodiment, there is provided a locking or securing mechanism that enables the plant pot to be locked into the pot receptor.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the artificial plant assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the inner pot being removed.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the inner pot completely removed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the mechanism or structure for securing the inner and outer pots together.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the inner and outer pots as well as a planter.

FIG. 6 is another view of the artificial plant assembly where both the inner and outer pots are secured in a planter.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLARY EMBODIMENT

With further reference to the drawings, the artificial plant assembly of the present invention is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral 10. As seen in the photographs, the artificial plant assembly 10 includes a planter 12. The term “planter” is a broad term and is meant to encompass a base structure that forms the base or foundation of the artificial plant assembly 10. Planter 12 can be any shape, such as round, square, octagon, etc. In addition, the planter 12 can be any size and can be constructed of various materials such as plastic, foam, wood, metal, etc. In some embodiments, the planter 12 may have a decorative outer surface or may have a flush or flat finished surface.

Planter 12 includes a substantial open area that is defined interiorly of the walls thereof. A pot receptor or outer pot indicated by the numeral 14 is shown. See FIG. 4, for example. The pot receptor 14 is supported in the planter 12. In various embodiments, the pot receptor or outer pot 14 is elevated within the planter 12 and is indented from the sides. The pot receptor 14 may assume various shapes. In the example shown herein, the pot receptor 14 is cylindrical and, therefore, includes a cylindrical wall, a bottom and an open top.

As alluded to above, the plant receptor 14 is supported in an upper central location in the planter 12 by a support structure. Various types of support structures can be incorporated into the planter 12 for the purpose of supporting and anchoring the pot receptor 14 appropriately in the planter. In one example, the support structure contained within the planter 12 is liquid foam. The support structure or liquid foam fills the planter except for the area that is occupied by the pot receptor 14. In some embodiments, a decorative annular strip of material may lie over the support material in the planter 12 and extend generally around the upper portion of the pot receptor 14. In the case of FIGS. 5 and 6, the support material, or sometimes referred to as filler material, underlies the decorative annular strip extending around the upper portion of the pot receptor.

Continuing to refer to the artificial plant assembly 10, the same includes an artificial plant 18. The artificial plant 18 can be of any type or size. As used herein, the term “artificial plant” means any artificial plant or flower type structure. Artificial plant 18 is potted or set in a plant pot or inner pot 20. It should be pointed out that plant pot 20 is designed to seat in and be received by the pot receptor 14. Therefore, the shape and size of the pot receptor 14 and the plant pot 20 are such that the two are compatible and that the plant pot can be easily received and held within the pot receptor 14.

There is provided a locking mechanism that interfaces with the pot receptor 14 and the plant pot 20. More particularly, the pot receptor 14 and the pot plant 20 are designed such that the pot plant can be easily locked into place within the pot receptor and held therein. There are many types of locking mechanisms that can be integrated or employed in connection with the pot receptor 14 and the pot plant 20. One type of locking device is a twisting type locking arrangement that occurs by simply setting the pot plant 20 into the pot receptor 14 and turning the pot plant into a locked position. To unlock or to release the pot plant 20, it is simply rotated in the opposite direction to an unlocked position where the pot plant can be easily lifted from the pot receptor 14.

As noted above, various types of locking arrangements can be incorporated. In one exemplary design, the cylindrical wall of the pot receptor 14 is provided with one or more recesses formed therein. The outer surface of a cylindrical wall that forms a part of the plant pot 20 includes one or more dimples that are sized and shaped such that they can be inserted into the recesses formed in the cylindrical wall of the pot receptor 14. In this example, the dimples might be slightly pliable so that they deform when squeezed between the pot receptor 14 and the plant pot 20. However, by twisting the plant pot 20, the dimples will be rotated until they reach the recesses in the cylindrical wall of the pot receptor 14, at which time they will project into the recesses and effectively lock the plant pot in the pot receptor.

In addition, the outer pot 14 can be secured to the inner pot 20 by screwing the two pots together. That is, both pots can be provided with threaded portions that permit the threaded portions to be engaged by rotating one pot with respect to the other. The threads can be provided about an upper portion of the respective pots or by a lower portion of the respective pots. In addition, in another embodiment, the inner pot 20 may be provided with pegs or protrusions about a lower portion thereof. These pegs or protrusions can be designed to be turned into receiving areas formed in the lower inner portions of the outer pot 14. The particular structures can be designed such that by inserting the pegs or protrusions into these areas and rotating one pot with respect to the other, the pegs are turned into a locked position where the inner pot 20 is securely held and locked within the outer pot 14. In another embodiment, there can be pegs or protrusions formed on the lower inner surface of the outer pot 14. These pegs can be designed to project within a notch or receiver formed in the lower portion of the inner pot 20. By selectively inserting and rotating the inner and outer pots with respect to each other, the one or more pegs in the lower portion of the outer pot 14 can be locked into the one or more notches or receivers formed in the lower portion of the inner pot 20.

In a preferred embodiment, hook and loop fasteners are provided for securing the inner pot 20 into the outer pot 14. See FIG. 4. It is seen that both the inner and outer pots include a bottom. The outer pot 14 includes a bottom that includes an inner surface which comprises the upper surface of the bottom of the outer pot 14. A hook or loop fastener pad 30 is secured to the inner surface of the bottom of the outer pot 14. Again, the pad 30 can be either a hook pad or a loop pad. A second pad 32 is formed on the outer surface of the bottom of the inner pot 20. Again, pad 32 can be of the loop or hook type, but should be the opposite of the pad 30 secured to the outer pot 14. Thus, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the outer pot 20 can be easily secured to the inner pot 14 by simply inserting the inner pot into the outer pot. The two pads 30 and 32 will mate and the hook and loop fasteners formed on the pads will effectively secure the inner pot 20 to the outer pot 14.

The advantages of the artificial plant assembly 10 should be clear from the above discussion and photographs attached. For purposes of shipping, the artificial plant 18 and the plant pot 20 can be separated from the planter 12 and the pot receptor 14. This enables these components to be packed more efficiently. In addition, if required, the support structure in the planter 12 along with the pot receptor can be removed from the planter. That is, all of the basic components, including the planter 12, pot receptor 14, support and plant pot 20 as well as the artificial plant 18, can be separated into individual components and repackaged for shipping. When repackaged, the artificial plant assembly does not have to take on the configuration that it will take on when placed in use. That permits the entire structure of the artificial plant assembly to be packaged in a compact design for cost effective shipping.

In addition, if the owner of the artificial plant assembly 10 desires to change the look of an area having these artificial plant assemblies therein, he or she can do so by simply removing the artificial plant 18 and plant pot 20 from the plant receptor 14 and replacing the same with a different artificial plant 18 and pot 20. That is, in this design, the artificial plant 18 and its pot 20 can be easily interchanged. In this case, the consumer is not required to purchase an entirely new artificial plant assembly.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An artificial plant assembly comprising: an outer pot; an inner pot; an artificial plant secured in the inner pot; and the inner and outer pots being configured such that the inner pot seats in the outer pot and wherein the outer pot substantially surrounds the inner pot.
 2. The artificial plant assembly of claim 1 including a securing mechanism that interfaces with the inner and outer pots to secure the inner and outer pots together.
 3. The artificial plant assembly of claim 1 wherein both the inner and outer pots include a bottom and wherein there is provided hook and loop fasteners for securing the inner pot to the outer pot and wherein the hook and loop fasteners are disposed on an inner surface of the bottom of the outer pot and on an outer surface of the bottom of the inner pot.
 4. The artificial plant assembly of claim 1 further including a planter and wherein the outer pot is seated within the planter.
 5. The artificial plant assembly of claim 4 including a securing mechanism associated with the inner and outer pots for securing the inner and outer pots together.
 6. An artificial plant assembly comprising: an outer pot; an inner pot; an artificial plant secured in the inner pot; and the inner and outer pots being configured such that the inner pot seats in the outer pot and wherein the outer pot substantially surrounds the inner pot; a planter; and wherein the outer pot is secured within the planter.
 7. The plant assembly of claim 6 further including a securing mechanism associated with both the outer and inner pots for securing the outer and inner pots together.
 8. The artificial plant assembly of claim 7 wherein the securing mechanism includes hook and loop fasteners disposed on an inner surface of the outer pot and on an outer surface of the inner pot.
 9. An artificial plant assembly comprising: an inner pot; an outer pot; an artificial plant secured in the inner pot and projected outwardly therefrom; the inner and outer pots configured such that the inner pot is inserted into the outer pot and wherein the outer pot includes a surrounding wall structure that surrounds the inner pot; the outer pot having a bottom which includes an inner surface; the inner pot having a bottom having an outer surface; and hook and loop fasteners secured to the inner surface of the bottom of the outer pot and to the outer surface of the bottom of the inner pot so as to secure the inner and outer pots together.
 10. The artificial plant assembly of claim 9 further including a planter and wherein the outer pot is secured in the planter such that the plant assembly includes the planter, the outer pot, the inner pot, and the artificial plant in the inner pot. 